I'm a simple emigrant and I love marmalade

In modern Germany it is not customary to bring marmalade to kindergarten and school as a treat, since it contains animal gelatin, and therefore does not fit halal or veganism. The fact that someone invented a candy based on boiled pig skin simply doesn’t sit well with me, and the huge variety of Haribo in local supermarkets hints that this is somehow connected with Germany. It turned out, not quite so. Gelatin itself as a neutral food additive began to be produced in the 19th century, thanks to the discovery by a French scientist. And the modern marmalade, which could be chewed for a long time without difficulty for teeth, was invented by a German confectioner. In 1920, in Bonn, Hans Riegel started his business after he was fired from a factory. He wanted to create a cheap and simple candy. Then he invented boiling marmalade based on gelatin, which would make the candy elastic and soft, and thus long-lasting. That same time Hans registered the company HARIBO, taking the initials: Hans Riegel Bonn. Haribo’s first success was Tanzbär — a large soft dancing bear, inspired by trained bears from fairs. Then it was boiled manually in copper pots right on the home marble stove, and sold on the street from a cart. But for children all this was not important – they immediately fell in love with this new candy and Haribo gradually grew rich. Then World War II came. The business had to downsize, despite the fact that Haribo, like other companies at the time, used forced labor. But after the founder’s death at 52, his wife managed the interim administration. And then the sons, who had returned from captivity, restarted the family business. And in the 1960s Goldbär appeared. The golden bear became cuter and became more associated with a child's toy, and moreover production became mass, and the bears were sold literally everywhere. But I think two things helped the success the most: the innovation in creating transparent packaging with a gold frame – that really made them stand out among competitors, and timing. In Germany began the era of consumerism, and gummy bears as a taste of childhood got their star hour both in the country and far beyond its borders. Today HARIBO has branches across Europe. The company produces over 100,000 tons of gummy candy per year, enough to circle the globe many times. All the time the company has been acquiring small European confectionery manufacturers, and now it has 18 factories with more than 6,000 employees. Haribo’s turnover is over 2 billion euros, yet the company remains family-owned and runs by descendants. In Germany HARIBO is loved almost as much as beer: brand stores in Bonn and Berlin attract locals and tourists alike, there were plans to open a theme park, but the idea was shelved. And the slogan Haribo makes children happy – and adults well is familiar to everyone here; even I have just sung it! Do you like gummy bears? #history #madeinGermany #food